I have a fun idea: the end of every 10-year period seems to be a super special time for the Bee Gees’ music and success! It all started in 1958 when the Gibb family moved from cloudy England to sunny Australia. The brothers worked hard as young TV stars there, and then, in 1967, they became famous all over the world.
Ten years later, in the late 1970s, they made some of the most famous songs ever—like the ones you hear in the movie “Saturday Night Fever.” Those tunes are so catchy that people everywhere still know them! Then, in the early 1980s, they wrote big hits for other huge stars. By 1987, they were back on top with their own music. Exactly 10 years after that, in 1997, they celebrated their biggest album in almost 20 years.
In the late 2000s, someone said the Bee Gees’ songs were played on the radio more than anyone else’s in the world—more than the Beatles, more than anyone! They wrote about 1,000 songs, and people love them everywhere, so it’s easy to believe.
Now, let’s talk about 2016. Before the year ended, Barry Gibb—the last Bee Gee still making music—released a new album called “In The Now.” It was his first big solo album since 1984. Even though it came out in a year ending with a “6” instead of a “7,” I still think it fits my idea because it’s close to the end of the decade. Maybe the end of a 10-year stretch makes artists like Barry extra creative!
Some people call the Bee Gees a “1970s band,” but they had big hits in the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s too. Maybe it’s smart for musicians to be linked to the end of a decade—it makes them stand out!
Barry Gibb was the most famous Bee Gee, and his solo music is special because he loved working with his brothers so much. He made some solo albums that not many people heard, like “The Kid’s No Good” in 1970, which stayed hidden because he got back together with his brothers. In the 1980s, he wrote songs for stars like Barbra Streisand and Kenny Rogers, and those became huge hits. His 1984 album “Now Voyager” had cool music videos for every song, but it didn’t get as popular as it deserved. In 1986, he started another solo album, but instead, he made a new Bee Gees album that did great in 1987. Some of his solo songs ended up in a movie called “Hawks” in 1988, which was pretty awesome too.
“In The Now,” released in 2016, was Barry’s first big solo project in years. He wrote all the songs with his sons, Stephen and Ashley. I think it came at the perfect time—Barry’s a music legend, and fans were excited to hear something new from him. I hope it stayed popular into 2017 to prove my end-of-decade theory right!
Want to hear some of Barry’s best solo songs? Check out “My Eternal Love” from 1988—it’s got a big, high voice part that’s so cool. “Victim” and “Born” from 1970 feel like classic American songs. “Childhood Days” from 1988 is a little sad but beautiful, and “You And I” from 1983 is so pretty that fans love it. Then there’s “I Am Your Driver” from 1984, which has a fun, funky beat. These songs show how talented Barry is all on his own!
